another tricky day
by The Singing Duck
Summary: Set after 6x09 "Clap Your Hands If You Believe". While working on a case, the Winchesters find an old 'friend' they thought was dead, but he isn't quite the same.  first fic in English, no flames please


_**Disclaimer:**__ I'm a french student in music, so do you really believe I could own Supernatural? I'm just borrowing its fantastic characters for my (and I hope your) pleasure._

_**Warnings**__**:**__ It's my first fanfiction in English, so please be kind (no flames). Concerning the plot, you're good as long as you know who the Trickster is. Possible spoilers up to Episode 6x09. This story has been betaed, all remaining mistakes are mine._

_**Summary:**__ Set after 6x09 "Clap Your Hands If You Believe". While working on a case, the Winchesters find an old friend they thought was dead, but he isn't quite the same._

_**Thanks: **__Huge thanks to my beta __The Dreaded Female__. She's amazing, and without her wonderful help I would never have posted this fic. I can't thank her enough!_

* * *

"Here's your pie, Sir."

"Thanks, Ma'am." Dean answered gratefully.

The Winchesters were having breakfast in a little family diner near New Castle, Indiana, after a night-long drive. Sam, ignoring his cooling pancakes, was already researching their current case on his laptop. Dean, on the other hand, was enjoying the peace and his massive slice of apple pie. The taste of it almost made him forget the slight resentment he felt at the moment for Bobby Singer.

It had been the Wincesters' first days off in weeks when Bobby had called them about some demon omens in this town, and asked them to take a look. After the sermon they had got during the trap-Crowley-to-get-Bobby's-soul-back affair, Dean was reluctant to refuse, but he _really_ needed some time off.

_"Bobby, it's our first break in weeks." He had argued very cautiously. __"Can't you take care of it?"_

_"Rufus wants my help with a coven of voodoo witches in Louisiana, so no, I can't, you idjit." Bobby had scolded. "But hey, we can switch cases if you insist."_

Wincing at the mere idea of dealing with witches again, Dean had promptly agreed to check if there was any demonic activity in New Castle. And here he was, eating a surprinsingly good slice of pie in a diner at seven in the morning, instead of lazing in bed.

His musings were interrupted when Sam grunted at his computer screen.

"What?" He inquired, not liking the expression on his brother's face one bit.

"I think Bobby was right about demons omens, but I just found something else." He turned the machine so Dean could see the article. "Two days ago, this Wilkinson guy was attacked by a swarm."

"Don't see anything demonic here. The man just wasn't lucky."

"He was attacked in his car." Sam clarified. "And witnesses said they saw the bees follow him on the road for a mile before they got into it."

"Huh. That's weird. Doesn't fit with demons usual MO."

"That's what I thought, but with monsters getting crazy these times, we can't be sure. My money's on the witches."

"Oh, come on! I took this case so we absolutely wouldn't deal with those bitches." Dean groaned.

"Sorry. Looks like you attract them, though. You should be careful with your dates."

He just had time to dodge the sugar bag Dean threw angrily at his face.

* * *

The Wilkinsons' farm was a big property situated just out of town. The farmhouse itself was charming, surrounded by trees and flowers, with a nice little kitchen garden. Sam and Dean knocked twice then waited. They soon could hear the sound of shuffling feet and the door opened to reveal a woman in her fifties, wearing an apron.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

"We hope so Ma'am. I'm Dean Keith and this is Samuel Moon. We're here on behalf of Liberty Mutual."

"My, you boys sure are efficient. I didn't expect you to come so soon."

She moved so that they could enter the house.

"Can I offer you something to drink, or to eat?" She asked when they were seated at her kitchen table.

"That'd be great. Thanks."

"No thanks, Ma'am." Sam answered, giving Dean a look of reproach. "Excuse-me, but could I check your husband's car, please?"

"Of course. It's parked in the garage." She said, giving him the keys.

"So, Mrs Wilkinson, could you tell me what exactly happened?" Dean asked.

"Only what the police told me. Jim was attacked by a swarn on the road while he came back home, and he lost control of his car." She offered him a plate of cookies and he grabbed one, nodding his thanks. "Thank God he wasn't injured in the accident, but he suffered severe stings all over his body, and the doctors wanted to keep him in observation."

"Has anything like this ever happened before?" He asked, taking a bite of the cookie.

"No, I don't think so."

"Now, this may seem like a strange question, but do you know anybody who might want to harm your husband?"

"Oh, no. I mean, we've had some little quarrels with neighbors here and there, but nothing serious."

Sam came back from the garage with a shake of his head, suggesting he hadn't found any hex bag in the car.

"Well, thank you for your help, Ma'am." Dean said as he stood. "I think we got all we need. And thank you for the cookie. It was delicious, you're really a great baker."

"Oh, that's nice, but they're from _Sweet and Sweeter_. It's a great candy and pastry shop in town." She escorted them to the door. "Thank you for your visit, Sirs. I hope I could help you."

On their way back to the car, Sam explained the results of his inspection.

"No hex bags, no signal on the EMF. Not even sulfur, so it has nothing to do with the omens Bobby discovered. There were just some dead bees on the seats and in the vents."

"Nothing else with the wife. Just some neighborhood quarrels, but nothing that'd justify a murder attempt."

"So we got jack squat." Sam sighed.

"Could't have said it better."

* * *

The rest of the day was spent researching in their motel room, a police scanner droning on in the background. It wasn't until the next morning that Dean found a new lead in a local newspaper.

"Hurry up, Samantha." Dean yelled through the bathroom door. "I got something here."

Sam exited, a towel wrapped loosely around his waist, his still wet hair dangling in front of his face.

"What?"

"Two water polo players almost drowned during a game yesterday."

"And what's the connection with our case?"

"Before they were transported to the hospital, they said something had dragged them to the bottom of the pool and wouldn't let them go. It took four people to drag them out."

"Good enough for me. Just give me five minutes."

When they arrived at the hospital, it turned out that the two players were in fact twin brothers, Tim and Paul Jones. Sam and Dean, disguised as FBI agents, were authorized to ask them a couple of questions.

The young men confirmed that at the end of the game, they had tried to join their team-mates on the side of the pool, but a strange and invisible force had then dragged and kept them under the surface. They would have died without the help of the life-guards who had managed to pull them out of the water.

The Winchesters then decided to go to the high school, in order to question some of the students present at the game. They all seemed pretty upset and shocked by the incident, but they couldn't give the brothers any relevant information. Sam and Dean thought they wouldn't find any more lead than they had with Mrs Wilkinson, until they overheard a conversation between a seemingly nerdy guy and his girlfriend.

"You don't think what happened yesterday was awful?" The girl exclaimed indignantly.

"Yes, I do. I'm just saying, they had it coming." The boy explained.

"Excuse-me, who had it coming?" Dean interrupted.

The students tensed a little when they saw the brothers, but the student answered nonetheless.

"Hum, Tim and Paul Jones, Sir."

"And why is that?" Sam joined the conversation.

"Because. Everyone here knows that they're the worst bullies of the school. Keeping new players of the water polo team under water is their favourite pastime, when they're not hanging around_ Sweet and Sweeter_ with their 'buddies'."

"Geez, this school is getting weird." The girl reflected. "First that thing with Mr. Beckett two weeks ago, and now this. It's starting to freak me out."

"Who's Mr Beckett?" Dean inquired.

"He's the Gym teacher." The nerd answered with a pout.

"And what about him?"

"He suddenly became mute during one of his classes." The girl explained. "My friend Maggie was there. She told me that one minute he was yelling at her and the next nothing. He couldn't make a sound or open his mouth. The doctors have no idea what's wrong with him and he hasn't been back to school since."

Sam and Dean exchanged a knowing look.

"Thanks, guys. You were very helpful."

When they were far enough away from the kids, Dean elbowed his gigantic brother.

"So, Pinky. Are you pondering what I'm pondering?" He asked with a smirk.

Sam sighed, dismayed by Dean's poor imitation of a megalomaniac lab mouse.

"Yeah, but I need to check a few things." He answered, getting into the Impala.

* * *

"Bingo." Sam exclaimed joyfully, startling his brother in the process.

They had been back at the motel for less than a half an hour. Sam had hopped on his computer as soon as the door closed, not even bothering to change.

"What?" Dean asked.

"Guess who used to be prosecuted regularly by apiarists in the last five years, for using a fertilizer that's well known for its disastrous effects on beehives?"

"Hum, Wilkinson?"

"Right! And who's gotten several complaints from parents and fellow teachers because of his aggressive behaviour towards students?"

"Beckett?"

"Right again! So that gives us a yelling and agressive teacher who becomes mute, a bee-killer farmer attacked by an angry swarm, and two water polo bullies who almost drown during a game. All of them dicks that got their just deserts. And the monster of the week is..."

"A trickster." Dean groaned. "Lucky us, demons omens and a trickster in the same city at the same moment. Just great! How do we find the little son of a bitch?"

"Already thought about that. He must have been in contact with the victims, but there's nothing apparent that links the three of them. So I wondered, what does a trickster love besides messing with people's lives?"

"Sweets?"

"Yes, and then I remembered Mrs Wilkinson's remark about that candy shop in town, the same shop the bad twins like to 'hang around with their buddies'."

"_Sweet and Sweeter_! That could fit. If Beckett is a client too, that'd be our link."

"Bingo again."

_

* * *

_

_Sweet and Sweeter _was really a living dream for any candy lover or sweet-toothed trickster. The shop offered countless sorts of candies, cakes, and pastries. When they entered the store, the customers were assaulted without mercy by explosions of bright colours and appetizing smells. Dean almost couldn't stop himself when he noticed all the different types of pies that were served here.

Sam decided to ignore his slavering brother and went directly to the pretty young salesgirl that was answering a phone call at the counter.

"No, I'm sorry, Mr Burns is away on business. I believe he'll be back in town tomorrow night. Thanks for your call, goodbye." She turned to Sam with a shy smile. "What can I do for you, Sir?"

"Excuse me miss, I'm agent Samuel Townshend with the FBI and this is my partner agent Dean Daltrey." He showed his fake badge. "We were wondering if you could answer some questions."

"Yeah, of course."

"Are Misters Beckett, Wilkinson and Jones, among your customers?"

"Oh, yes." Her face lit up with recognition. "They're very good clients. The Jones twins come here very often, but their parents and the other people you mentionned prefer to be delivered directly."

"And could you, by any chance, tell me the name of your delivery-man?"

"We have three of them, actually, but I'll check which one takes care of these clients. Just a moment, please." She excused herself as she went in the back-shop.

"What did she say?" Dean asked as he joined his brother.

"The victims are all good customers. She's looking for their delivery-man."

"Well, what a cooperative girl. Did you hit on her?"

"Shut up, Dean!"

"There." The salesgirl came back and put down an account-book on the counter. "Your man is... Hey, it's Junior!"

"Junior?"

"Yes. He's a distant nephew of the owner of this shop, Mr Burns. Came here about a year ago, and started to work as a pastry-chef. But he can deliver orders sometimes."

"Can we see him, please?" Sam asked.

"Today's his day off. But I can give you his address. He lives with Mr Burns and his daughter on Columbus Street, near Baker Park." She wrote the address, but thought better of it before giving the paper. "He isn't in trouble, right?"

"No, of course not." Dean assured. "We just have some questions about these customers."

"Okay, then."

She handed the paper to Sam, who nodded his thanks. The Winchesters then walked to the door, but Dean stopped suddenly and came back to the counter.

"Huh, sorry to bother you again," he quickly apologized to the girl, "but could I get a piece of apple pie, please?"

Sam let escape an exaperated sigh, but his brother just shrugged, a sheepish grin on his face.

* * *

"So, what? This delivery man is our big bad guy?" Dean asked as he parked the Impala in front of the house.

"Could be. He_ is_ the only link we've found between the victims. Stay on your guard."

They got out of the car and crossed a very nice garden before reaching the front door.

"Whatever." Dean sighed. "I still don't understand the connection between this trickster and the demonic activity in this town."

"Maybe the trickster's powers attract them. Maybe they're looking for it too."

"Great! Another competition with demons, then."

Dean straightened his back before ringing at the door.

"Yes?" a muffled voice came through the speaker.

"Mister Burns, agents Daltrey and Townshend, FBI. We have a couple of questions we'd like you to answer."

"Of course, 'm comin'."

They heard footsteps and the door unlocked to reveal a man a bit shorter than Dean, with light brown hair, sparkling hazel eyes, and a warm smile.

"Yes, Sirs. What can I do for you?"

The Winchesters stared at the man for what seemed like three long minutes, before Dean managed to stop gaping and forced his lips to move.

"Gabriel?"

The archangel-turned-trickster looked at him, a little perplexed.

"Hum... yes. Sirs, can I help y–"

"YOU SONUVABITCH!" Sam screamed as he punched him right in the face.

Gabriel fell back into the house. Dean could do nothing but stare open mouthed.

Sam just straightened his jacket and let out a heavy sigh of relief.

"God, I've waited to do this for five long years." He said as he entered the house under his brother's astonished gaze.

In the hall, Sam looked around, taking in the details of the little house by pure reflex. It was a typical house in a suburbian area. Nothing menacing in sight.

Following closely, Dean looked past Sam at Gabriel, who had managed to get upright and was sitting with his back against the wall. Something about the scene set off a warning bell in the back of Dean's mind.

"Holy crap!" Gabriel groaned as he propped himself up. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Screw you!" Sam yelled at the man. "We thought you were dead, we stopped the fuckin' Apocalypse by ourselves, and we find you playing tricks like nothing happened? What kind of bastard are you?"

Gabriel was still down, cupping his bleeding nose in his hand, and staring at Sam with wide eyes, pretty dumbfounded. And a little... scared, too?

"Look Sir, I have no idea what you're talking about. This must be a terrible mistake." He was lifting his other hand slowly in a protective gesture. "I'm sure we can talk calmly about it, but please just don't hit m–"

"Oh my God!"

A young woman came from the kitchen, terrified, and crouched next to Gabriel when she saw he was hurt.

"Oh God, Gabe! What happened? Who are these people?"

"Don't know, they rang at the door and the big one punched me when I opened."

Sam felt the urge to hit Gabriel again. He took a step forward...

"Bullsh–"

... only to be brutally stopped by his brother.

"What? Dean!"

"Listen to me!" Dean spoke in low soothing tones. "There's something very wrong, here. I don't think he's acting. Look at him, damnit!"

Sam followed Dean's gaze, and looked more closely at the man curled against the wall in front of him. He seemed as terrified as the woman, who was checking him over to see if he had wounds other than his nose. Sam could not remember a single time – not even when he had posed as the trickster or stood against Lucifer – that Gabriel looked as scared as he did right then.

Still appearances could be deceiving. Sam turned to argue.

"But–"

"He's bleeding, Sam!" Dean insisted. "Believe me, a human can't make an angel bleed by just punching him in the nose. I'm telling you, something's wrong, and we need to get out of here."

Just then the woman grabbed the phone and shouted,

"I'm calling the cops and I'll scream for the neighbourhood if you don't go immediately!"

"Clara, just get out of here!" Gabriel ordered.

"No, it's ok!" Dean objected quickly. "We're leaving. My partner made an awful mistake. It was an error, we're leaving now. We're sorry."

Dean dragged Sam out of the house.

"I hate to say it, but we need to go for a tactical retreat before solving this case."

"I'm still not convinced, Dean." Sam opened the passenger door. "There are too many coincidences."

"I know, but... We need to figure this out before we do something we'll regret later."

"Oh, so you're the brains of this team, now?"

"Huh, guys?" a voice called from behind them.

They turned back and saw Gabriel's clone descending the stairs of the house carefully, his right hand still clutching his nose.

"We're leaving!" Dean assured quickly. "No need to call the cops."

"No, no. It's just..."

He hesitated, glancing in Sam's direction with dread. Finally he spoke, addressing himself to Dean.

"Just after he confused my face with a punching bag, your partner said he'd wanted to do this for five years, right?"

"Hum... yes?"

"So, you two... You know me? We've already met before?"

"About five years ago." Sam said. "You know, the university, the Mystery Spot, TVland. Remember, good old times?"

To their surprise, the Gabriel look-alike chuckled bitterly and a sad smile made its way across his bloody face.

"Well, actually, I don't. I can't remember anything at all."

* * *

"Do you... want some coffee?" Clara proposed.

"Yes, that would be great." Dean answered gently.

He didn't want to scare the young woman. It had been pretty hard to convince her not to run for the cops when they had reappeared in the house with Gabriel. But she had calmed after plenty apologies and a little explanation from her companion, and they were now all sitting in the kitchen, waiting for her to serve their drinks.

She then sat next to Gabriel, whose nose was still stuffed with cotton, and laid her hand upon his. He looked at it tenderly before turning back to the brothers, and asked with a bit of apprehension,

"So... Who am I?"

The Winchesters nodded at each other before Sam began to talk. Since their hosts didn't seem to know anything about the supernatural, they had decided to go for a story adapted to civilians, but close to the reality.

"Your name is Gabriel Lokster. When we first met you, you were working in a joke shop."

"And... How did the three of you meet?" Clara joined the conversation.

"We were working on a... case. We had reasons to believe that a terrorist – let's call him Luc – wanted to obtain a very dangerous weapon, and we wanted to set him up."

"And what's the relation with me?"

"You and Luc were very close at a time. You'd already given us important information about him, and we hoped you could help us to stop his plans, but you refused to get more involved. So we went for him anyway, but things ended pretty bad, and we were trapped."

"We probably would have been killed if you hadn't saved our lives at the last minute." Dean admitted reluctantly.

"What happened?"

"You... distracted him so we could escape, but you didn't go with us. When we came back, Luc was gone, and you'd disappeared. There were evidences of a fight, and we presumed you'd been... killed. Luc was arrested a few weeks later, and the case was closed." Sam finished.

There was a heavy silence following the last sentence, the Winchesters waiting to see if Gabriel and Clara were buying their story, and the couple visibly digesting all these information.

"Well," Gabriel started with a half smile, "obviously I'm not dead. Nobody tried to find me?"

"You once told us you'd broke off with your family. Probably nobody knew you were missing."

"That's... sad." Clara exhaled deeply.

"Now, your turn." Dean requested. "How did you make it through, and how did you end up in this town?"

"I don't know, it's kind of... blurred. I just remember... some kind of warm light. The next thing I knew, I was waking up in the middle of a clearing, cold and drenched by rain. My chest hurt a lot, and I tried to find some help. And then I was knocked down by Clara's car."

"You knocked him down?" Dean exclaimed.

"I didn't knock him down." She corrected. "He threw himself under my car."

_

* * *

_

Clara and William Burns were driving back to New Castle after spending a day at Summit Lake.

_Clara's father was fond of fishing, and he tried to come to this fantastic place once a month. This time, Clara had taken a day off to accompany him._

_They ha__d stayed until nightfall to watch the sunset on the lake, but unexpected clouds had rapidly gathered and they were forced to retreat to their car when a heavy rain started. Clara loved to drive in this weather; she felt safe in the warm car while the water pounded on the windshield, and she liked the smell of summer rain on hot asphalt._

_"Baby, you should slow down a little. It's getting really dark." Her father advised._

_"Dad, please. I'm not sixteen anymore, I know how to– Oh my God!"_

_She stood on the brake as she spotted the dark figure in the middle of the road. She could have sworn that the car stopped just in time, but her heart jumped in her chest when she heard a dull 'thump' on the hood. _

_Clara started when her father grabbed her arm._

_"Darling, are you ok? What was that?" _

_"I don't know, it just... came out of nowhere!"_

_She quickly exited the car and went to the front, sure to find a dead body on the road. She wasn't quite prepared to what awaited her._

_A man was indeed on the ground, but not sprawled on the asphalt in a disarticulated mess as she had expected. He was leaning back against the car, head bowed, arms at his side and legs spread on the floor. The rise and fall of his chest indicated that he was still breathing, but it was far too rapid and Clara realised that he was panting. _

_"Sir, are you ok?" _

_He lifted his head up to look at her, his eyes pretty dazed and unfocused behind wet locks of hair. Clara winced when she saw that he was utterly drenched. He must have been out in the rain for a long time._

_When he didn't respond, she crouched beside him, his gaze following her._

_"Sir, can you tell me if you're okay?" _

_This time, he seemed to understand her question. He pondered a little before answering with a trembling voice,_

_"Not sure. Don't feel well... chest hurts..."_

_He lifted a hand to his heart to emphasize his words._

_"Okay. I'm gonna take a look to see if you're injured." She explained softly._

_He let her take his hand in hers carefully, and she pushed his jacket aside to reve__al a bloodstained shirt._

_"But you're covered in blood!" _

_"Darling, what are you doing?" Her father worried. "Oh God!"_

_He abruptly stopped when he saw the bloodied man on the ground._

_"Dad, help me. We have to get him in the car." She turned back t__o the injured man. "What's your name, Sir?"_

_"Hum... Gabriel?"_

_She ignored the hesitation in his voice when he told his name, focusing on more important matters._

_"Gabriel, we're going to move you in the car, so we can help you. This might hurt a little." _

_Clara and her father pulled the wounded man up and supported him to the back seat of the car. Gabriel winced and groaned a little when he stood, but otherwise seemed completely detached from the situation. Clara sat next to him and her father took her place at the wheel._

_"We're going to the hospital?" William questioned urgently._

_"No...__ no hospital." Gabriel moaned faintly as he struggled in the back seat. "No hospital... Got to find... Winchester..."_

_"Winchester?" Clara thought he meant the city nearby. "No, you need to see a doctor, and you'll be fine."_

_"No, not fine!" He began to panic and thrash in the back seat. "No hospital!"_

_"Okay, okay." Clara barely managed to restrain him, she didn't want his injuries to be worsened. "We won't go to the hospital if you don't want to."_

_"Promise?" He pleaded._

_"Promise." _

_"Okay." He muttered, finally relaxing, and promptly collapsed onto her shoulder._

_"So, what do we do?" Her father asked._

_"We go back home." _

_At least, n__ow that Gabriel was unconscious, it would be a lot easier to determine the gravity of his wounds. She moved aside the lapels of his jacket again, and opened his bloody shirt to examine the wound underneath. She was fairly surprised to find that there wasn't any gaping hole in his chest, but an already healing scar instead. There was just a little bit of blood oozing from a tender part of the new skin._

_Clara let escape a sigh of relief._

_"I think he'll be fine." She told her father reassuringly. "And maybe tomorrow we'll convince him to see a doctor."_

_

* * *

_

"I watched over him the all night. The next day, Gabriel finally agreed to be taken to the hospital, but they didn't find any other injury. The doctors diagnosed a long-term amnesia, without apparent biological cause. After a while, since nobody seemed to be looking for him, my father and I decided to welcome him into our house."

"It rapidly turned out that I was a very good pastry-chef, so a few months later, Bill suggested that I work with him at the store, and I agreed." Gabriel continued. "I've never been able to remember anything. Truth is, I'd given up the hope to discover who I really was before you two came here."

The Winchesters looked at each other. They hadn't missed the mention of their real name during Clara's speech. Her story seemed perfectly coherent and could fit with the events they had gone through. But they had to verify some points.

"When did you say all of this happened?" Sam questioned the couple.

"Oh, I remember it clearly!" Clara assured quickly. "It was last year, in May. The 22th."

Sam and Dean glanced imperceptively at each other. It was exactly one month after Gabriel's presumed death, and a couple of weeks after Sam jumped with Lucifer and Michael into the Pit. That could make sense.

Dean felt a litlle awkward when he continued,

"Hum, Gabriel? Sorry to ask that, dude, but... Would you mind if we took a look at that scar?"

The question obviously surprised Gabriel, and the demand also seemed to embarrass him, but he agreed nonetheless.

"Yeah, 'f course."

He reluctantly stood and pulled his shirt up to reveal the little white scar on his chest, just under his heart. It resembled a deformed star, with very irregular branches joining at what must have been the point of impact of a knife, or a blade. Dean winced at the sight.

"Ouch, must have stung."

"Oh, just a bit." Gabriel said ironically as he sat back.

"So, that's why you were in town?" Clara intervened hesitantly. "To find Gabriel?"

"Actually, no." Sam answered. "We're here for another case. There are several people in this town who've been attacked in some unusual ways, and we were told you knew all of them."

"Who's that?" Gabriel inquired, curious.

"Mr Beckett, Mr Wilkinson, Tim and Paul Jones."

"Oh, I heard about Beckett. What happened to him seems pretty funny to me."

"Gabriel!" Clara chided.

"Well, it's true. Everyone knows this asshole yells at his students all the time. Now that his jaw's stuck, it's gonna be a lot more difficult."

"Actually, his mouth is sealed. Like in 'Matrix sealed'." Sam clarified.

"Ouch, gross." Gabriel winced.

"Yeah, you can say that again." Dean continued. "Did you notice anything special about these people?"

"No, they're just very good customers." Gabriel seemed to ponder for a moment. "I didn't see anything unusual."

"And, in this house?" Dean went on. "Anything out of the ordinary, like lights flickering, things disappearing? Nothing at all?"

The Winchesters noticed a quick glance between Clara and Gabriel, and the amnesic angel faltered just a little when he replied,

"No, nothing at all."

"Perfect, then." Sam said as he stood. "Look, I'm sure you both need some time to process all of this, and we have to get back to work. But we'll come back." He gave Clara a card of their motel with his phone number. "Don't hesitate to call us if you need or remember something."

"Yes, of course. Thank you." Clara nodded as she shook his hand.

"We stay in touch, Gabriel." Dean assured on his way to the door.

Gabriel waved at them amicably, watching them walk to their car before closing the front door.

* * *

"So, what do ya think?" Sam asked as soon as they were on the road.

"I believe their story. It fits. And I'm pretty sure he's really amnesic. But there's something they're hiding from us. You saw that look when I talked about strange things happening?"

"Yeah, unmistakable. And he did find Mr Beckett's problem kind of funny."

"But he didn't react about the others." Dean frowned. "I don't know, this all case is wrong. Maybe we should call Cas."

"I'd rather wait to have a real lead before disturbing the mighty angel of the Lord."

"Please, don't tell me you still resent him for not answering your prayers! Or is it about the hand-in-the-gut thing?"

"_No_. Just sayin'. Now that we know Gabriel's here, we have a new perspective to investigate this case."

"Okay, we'll watch him. But first, I need a beer. And don't make that face, bitch."

"Jerk."

* * *

"Do you think they know?" Clara asked, sounding worried.

"I'm not sure," Gabriel answered, "they dropped some hints and were pretty insistent about 'strange things'. They're probably aware of something, but I don't know what."

"Do you trust them?"

"Not really. They obviously lied about their names, and I'll be damned if they're FBI. We'll need to be careful."

Clara came in his arms and scrutinized his face, caressing his cheek with her thumb.

"How's your nose?"

"It's fine. Stopped throbbing while we talked. It'll be healed in minutes."

"And how are you? How is it to finally learn some things about your past?"

"I'm... good. It's a bit reassuring to know that I was not a total dick before. But I don't care anymore about the past." He intertwined his fingers in her black curls. "What really matters to me is the present, and you."

Gabriel's head lowered and he kissed Clara tenderly, before pulling back with a wide smile.

"And now..."

He snapped his fingers and a beautiful bouquet of red roses appeared in his hand. Clara giggled softly when he kneeled at her feet and declaimed pompously,

"Please, my Lady. Accept this modest present from your miserable admirer!"

"Gabriel, you shouldn't do this so casually. Someday, someone will see you." Clara chided gently. "You're too carefree for your own good."

"This, my love, is part of my charm."

He stood with a grin before kissing her again, the bouquet forgotten on the floor.

* * *

That night, Gabriel didn't sleep well.

He kept dreaming about a beautiful dark skinned woman with blood on her fingers – and he had the very disturbing feeling that it was his – and a scary yet familiar man with ugly oozing scars on his face. But mostly, he had flashes of the two so-called FBI agents he had just met, each time in different places, but they always seemed to stare at him with suspicion or dread.

Clara must have sensed him stir in his sleep, because she gently wrapped an arm around his chest, resting her hand on his heart. This immediatly comforted him, and he drifted into a more peaceful dream.

Gabriel was now in an unknown bedroom, watching a sleeping man. He recognized him as of one of his neighbors, Jack Simms. Gabriel thought absentmindedly that it was a little weird to dream about him, because he really didn't like the guy; he was rude to other people, and sometimes could be very violent with his kids.

But the dream went on, and Gabriel noticed Jack being brutally awakened by a strange noise coming from downstairs. The man silently slipped out of bed, and grabbed a baseball bat from under the bed before leaving the room. He then slowly moved down the stairs, careful not to make the steps creak.

There was a light on in the study. Jack approached the door very cautiously, and took a glimpse at the intruder. It was a huge man, wearing only trousers, and his skin had a strange shade and texture. It looked like an orange crust.

Jack stepped back and went to the kitchen, intending to call the cops. He grabbed the phone and started to dial 911, but then a heavy hand came down on his shoulder. He was turned around violently and came face to face with the orange colossus.

"Tss, tss, tss. Just you and me, _Jack_." The giant reprimanded before punching him in the jaw.

Gabriel woke up with a start, his yell startling his sleepy lover.

"What happened?" Clara worried when she realized he was sweating and panting. "What was it?"

Gabriel calmed down as he took in his surroundings; Clara whispering soft words as she was stroking his hair, the sunrise already casting a warm light through the curtains of their room. He sighed in relief.

"A dream... It was just a bad dream."

He turned to his lover and offered her a timid smile to dispel her fears.

And then he heard the siren of an ambulance.

* * *

The Winchesters had been called by the police in the late morning. They wanted to inform them that a man had been assaulted during the night and that his attack might be related to their current case.

When they made it to the hospital, an officer welcomed them and explained what had happened.

"We suppose Mr Simms heard someone break into his house and surprised the intruder. The criminal must have panicked and he beat Mr Simms up until he was unconscious."

"Do you have a witness?"

"Yes. One of Simms' boys saw the fight. But it must have traumatized him."

"Why's that?" Sam inquired.

"Because he told us the Thing did it."

"The Thing? As in the 'Fantastic Four' Thing?" Dean wondered.

"Yes, precisely."

"Thank you, Sir." Sam said. "We'd like to speak to the family if we could."

"They're in the waiting room, with some neighbors."

He showed the direction, and then left.

"Looks like another trick to me." Sam reflected as they walked.

"Yeah." Dean groaned. "I swear, when I see Gabriel again, I'm gonna beat the crap out of–"

He stopped when he noticed the subject of their conversation pacing up and down in the corridor. Regaining sense, Dean strode in his direction, followed closely by Sam, and grabbed the trickster from behind by his shoulder.

"Hey." Gabriel protested. "What the–"

But Dean didn't let him finish and shoved him in an empty room, before pinning him against a wall as Sam closed the door and the blinds behind them.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Dean roared. "Came to see a job well done?"

"Wha– What are you talking about?"

Gabriel struggled to break free from Dean's grip, but didn't manage to move him. This detail definitly didn't go unnoticed by the Winchesters.

"Jack Simms." Sam answered. "Don't play dumb, we know you did this to him."

"I– No, I didn't do anything. He was assaulted in his house by a... a giant."

"And how do you know that, Einstein?" Dean snarled. "Only the police and the family know the details of the attack."

Gabriel looked really confused for a second, and then seemed torn between fear and anger.

"I dreamt about it, okay!" He finally admitted. "I saw the whole bloody scene in a dream. And it scared the hell outta me! And when I woke up I found out it wasn't a dream at all. And now you're mugging me, implying I'm responsible for it, so excuse me if I'm a little freaked out!" He exclaimed, his hands fisted so tight the knuckles where white.

Dean, startled, released him and took a few steps back, studying the smaller man for a second.

"Geez, you really don't know what's going here, do you?" Sam came to stand next to his brother.

"Nooo. Took you long enough to figure this out."

The Winchesters exchanged glances, silently agreeing. Dean relaxed his shoulders and started to explain,

"Look, we're not FBI."

"No kiddin'!" The angel scoffed. "Knew that the moment Big boy punched me in the face."

"Just– Shut up, for a minute." Dean cut him. "We're Dean and Sam Winchester, and we're hunters. We cross the country to stop and kill evil things."

"Like what?" Gabriel inquired, sounding suddenly curious.

He had frowned slightly at the mention of their name, but the brothers couldn't tell if he really remembered it.

"Like ghosts, demons, vampires. All the monsters you can think of." Sam clarified.

"And what does that have to do with me?"

"_You_," Dean was losing patience, "are not really human. You're a trickster... among other things."

"A what?"

"A trickster." Sam repeated. "A pagan god with a twisted sense of humour, who punishes dicks with just deserts by manipulating reality."

"That must be a joke." The angel chuckled humourlessly. "You guys are nuts!"

"Oh, come on!" Dean exclaimed. "Don't tell me you never noticed things weren't quite right about you. We know you and your girlfriend hid something from us, yesterday."

"You leave her out of this." Gabriel warned darkly.

"So, what is it?" Sam pursued. "You can disappear at will? Read people's mind? Make things appear with a snap of your fingers?"

The trickster flinched at the last proposition, earning a victorious smile from the brothers.

"Touché!" Dean rejoiced. "And you didn't think it was worth mentioning?"

Gabriel stared at them for a second before sighing in defeat.

"Okay. I may be able to do some... interesting things, but that's it." His tone was deadly serious when he continued. "I _never_ wanted to hurt anyone in this town."

"Maybe you didn't, but you hurt them anyway." Sam countered. "Deep inside, you thought they needed to be punished, and you unconsciously made sure they got what they deserved. There's no other explanation."

There was a heavy moment of silence, before Dean tried to solve the problem peacefully.

"You have to make this stop." He warned calmly.

"And if you can't, we'll have no other option than stopping _you_." Sam finished.

Dean was taken aback by his brother's comment. He still wasn't getting used to Robo-Sam's occasional coldness and lack of subtlety. Hell, _he_ was supposed to be the less subtle of the team.

When he turned back to the angel, Dean instantly understood that threatening him wasn't exactly the best tactic to adopt. Sam's last remark had visibly pissed him off.

"Let me go." Gabriel ordered more than asked, his voice darker than he had ever heard.

"Of course." Sam stepped back to let him pass. "Just think about what I said."

Gabriel walked slowly to the door, never taking his eyes off Sam's – the younger Winchester even thought he saw a brief golden sparkle in them. Just before the archangel exited the room, he paused and declared,

"Now you two listen to me, _dicks_. You stay away from me, and you stay away from my family, or I'll send you the cops. The real ones. An if you ever hurt Clara and Bill, I swear _I_ will find you, and _I_ will end you _myself_."

And then he was gone.

Dean let out a breath he wasn't aware he was holding, and tapped Sam's shoulder.

"Good job, Sammy. Really, good job."

* * *

The sun had already set when Gabriel came back home.

The discussion with the Winchesters had replayed all day in his head, and had raised questions he wasn't sure he could face. If they were right, he had really hurt those people, and probably others before his amnesia. He didn't quite like the kind of guy that would make him.

There was another fear, a deeper one, that had slowly grown in the back of his mind. Sam had confirmed he could manipulate reality – and it was certainly true since he could make things appear out of nowhere – but did that mean he could influence others' feelings as well? That he could have influenced Clara so she would love him? The mere idea made him sick.

And underneath it all, a feeling of emptiness, of something amiss, was eating at him. He just knew that there had to be more to him than this, that an entire part of his being – and a very important one – was still hidden, buried in the depths of his memory.

As soon as he got inside the house, Clara put her arms around him. He hesitated before returning the embrace. Tension radiated from her body. He hugged her tighter, burying his face in her hair.

"Where were you?" She complained, trembling. "I called the shop but they said you weren't there. I was so worried."

"I went to the hospital to see Jack, and then I... walked."

That was true, he had walked the whole day around the city. He withdrew a little from her and looked deeply into her eyes. They stayed like this for a minute before Clara started to talk again.

"Are you ok?"

"Why do you love me?" Gabriel asked abruptly.

"Excuse-me?"

"I mean, what made you fall in love with me in the first place?"

"I don't know, it's a weird question."

She seemed to ponder it for a while, and then lifted her head to meet his gaze.

"You're... kind." She slipped her fingers sweetly in his light brown hair. "And funny. And so unpredictable!"

Clara giggled, causing a slight smile to spread on his face. She then got on her tiptoes, so she could whisper in his ear.

"And I shouldn't say this, because you might get big-headed, but... you're so hot."

Gabriel chuckled this time, and she kissed him lightly before leaning in his arms.

"You know, some people seem to think that I'm not as kind as I look." He said with just a hint of regret in his voice.

"Who told you that? The Winchesters? Don't listen to them, they have no idea what they're talking about."

She gave him a bright smile and went to kiss him again, but a sudden realisation hit Gabriel.

"How do you know about the Winchesters? I didn't say anything about them."

"Gabe, don't be silly, we met them yesterday."

"They said their names were Daltrey and Townshend, yesterday. I just learned their true identity this morning."

Clara continued to smile at him for a second, and then her face became cold and a deep sigh of disappointment escaped her pretty lips.

"Damnit! Guess the cat's out of the bag." Her eyes suddenly turned black. "And I was having so much fun playing with you."

Gabriel stumbled back at the sight of his lover's face deformed by dark eyes and an evil grin. His retreat was stopped as two men came from behind, each grabbing one of his arms. Their eyes were black too.

"Poor little trickster." The thing inside Clara mocked as it came closer. "So afraid his sweetheart doesn't love him in return. You're really pathetic, you know. So much power and you're wasting it to seduce a little slut? Do you know how hard it's been to find you?"

"Let her go." He asked pleadingly.

"Oh, but I will." It answered, grabbing his jaw with a grip too strong for Clara's little hand. "Now that we've found you, I'm gonna take this nice body of yours, and combine your incredible powers with mine. And then I will test my new abilities on sweet little Clara."

"No, plea–"

Gabriel was cut off as the thing pressed Clara's lips against his, and he felt something thick invading his mouth and going down his throat. He tried to spit it out but only ended choking. His vision began to go dark and he felt consciousness slipping away.

Suddenly there was a flash of blinding white light. Clara and the men flew through the dining room. Gabriel was thrown in the kitchen. He bumped hard against the worktop and fell on the floor, completely dazed.

Before he could fully recover, his assailants were already blocking the door and advancing to corner him.

"You're going to pay for this." Clara groaned. "I'm gonna make you watch while I tear her apart!"

Gabriel barely managed to stand up, his eyes franctically scanning th room. He needed a weapon to defend himself, and since the kitchen knives were out of reach, he had to create one. He snapped the first thing coming to his mind, and ended brandishing what looked like a long silver dagger, reflecting bright beams of light.

The demons – because he was perfectly aware they were demons now, although he didn't know how – stepped back at the sight, and Clara's eyes widened in fear and recognition.

"No." She muttered. "That's impossible, you can't be an an–"

She was interrupted by the sound of the frontdoor opening and somebody's calling joyfully,

"Clara, Gabe, I'm home!"

Gabriel recognized Bill's voice and wanted to warn him, when he noticed the demon possessing Clara was grabbing one of the kitchen knives, grinning malevolently.

"Maybe I'll have a little payback sooner than I thought." She said before going to the hall, followed by her accomplices.

"No!"

Gabriel tried to stop them but was too late to save Bill as Clara stabbed him in the stomach with a sadistic laugh. All he could do was catch the man as he slumped on the floor. The demon continued to mock him from across the street.

"I'll see you soon, little trickster! Wait for me!"

Gabriel gently laid Bill on the ground, pressing his hands against the wound to stop the hemorrhaging.

"What– Why?" His friend asked feebly.

"Don't talk, keep your strength." Gabriel commanded softly, hands now covered in blood. "It's gonna be okay."

"Clara..." Bill insisted.

"It wasn't her! She didn't do this!"

Apparently reassured, the man closed his eyes and his whole body relaxed.

"No, stay awake!" Gabriel started to panic. "Don't you dare die on me, old man!"

Damn, he was a fucking god and he couldn't even heal a stab wound.

Gabriel tried to calm down a little and clear his mind. Bill was losing too much blood, and he would soon bleed to death if not treated. An ambulance would be too late. He had to take him to a hospital by himself.

So Gabriel gathered Bill Burns up in his arms, feeling warm blood coating the front of his shirt and jacket, and went to the door. Suddenly the world began to spin and he had to close his eyes against a wave of dizziness.

When he opened them again, he was standing outside Henry County Hospital. Without thinking twice, he strode inside and called the first doctor he saw.

"Please, I need help!"

He was soon joined by a nurse and a doctor who began to check Bill over, while two other nurses brought a stretcher.

"What happened, Sir?" The nurse asked.

"It's my father, he was stabbed in the abdomen."

"Who did this?" The doctor inquired.

_His own daughter_, Gabriel thought brieftly.

"I don't know... He was in our house..." He answered.

"Okay, stay here Sir, we're going to take care of your father." One of the nurses told him kindly.

He watched, stunned, as Bill disappeared through a set of swinging doors. He continued to stare for a few moments until all of a sudden the urgency of the situation slammed into him full force. In the last twenty minutes, he had been attacked, Bill had been seriously injured and could die at any moment, and Clara was still missing, possessed by a demon. Gabriel needed help, and he needed it quickly.

He then remembered his earlier conversation with the Winchesters. They were hunters, they chased demons, they knew how to find them.

Gabriel concentrated on the address he had memorized when Sam had given Clara one of his cards. He tried to find again the sensation he had felt while bringing Bill here. The dizziness came back and he let it pull him.

Nobody noticed when he disappeared from the hall.

* * *

After their discussion with the archangel at the hospital, the Winchesters had decided to continue their investigation on the demonic omens, but so far they hadn't found any significant results. At the end of the day, they had settled for a relaxing night, Dean watching TV shows on one of the beds while Sam played on his laptop on the other.

It would be an understatement to say that Sam and Dean were surprised when Gabriel crashed into the small dining table on the other side of the room. They both jumped up, ready to fight.

"What the hell?" Dean exclaimed.

Gabriel stood up and grabbed a chair for support, swaying dangerously.

"I need... help."

"Are you alright?" Sam asked, pointing at the blood.

"'s not mine." Gabriel dismissed abruptly. "Demons–"

"You found some demons?"

"No! They found me..."

He stumbled back and leaned heavily against the wall behind him, his face strained.

"Gabriel, you should sit down. You look terrible."

"'m fine! Got to find Clara!"

"Gabriel." Dean insisted. "There's some blood on–"

"I told you it wasn't mine!" The trickster shouted in exasperation.

Then Gabriel noticed the brothers weren't staring at his hands or his clothes, but at his face. He felt something sticky running down his nose, and when he wiped it with the back of his hand, he realised it was blood. His blood.

"Oh, crap." He muttered before collapsing on the floor, unconscious.

* * *

Gabriel came awake to the sound of voices. He immediately recognized two as belonging to Sam nd Dean, and the third was vaguely familiar.

"... has not been harmed... think he should wake... any moment now."

He kept his eyes closed, unsure whether to let them know he was awake yet. He tried to focus on what they were saying.

"His grace is still here, I can feel it, but it is very dimmed, almost imperceptible." The low voice went on. "He cannot possibly have full access to his powers."

"So what, he's practically human?" Dean grew impatient.

"Mostly, yes."

"That would explain why he fainted when he got here." Sam concluded.

"I so did _not_ faint." Gabriel snapped before he could stop himself.

He realised his mistake as three pairs of eyes turned to him. Deciding to stop pretending, he struggled to sit up and groaned when his body painfully protested.

"Whoa, take it easy." Sam came to his side. "Don't want you to collapse on us again."

"Where am I?"

"In our room. Remember, you crashed here yesterday." Dean reminded him.

"Crashed here...? Damnit, Bill! How is he? Did you see him? Did you find Clara?"

"Hey, calm down!" Sam exclaimed.

"You do not need to worry about William Burns." The third man, clad in a trenchcoat, responded with calm. "He will undoubtly recover and I made sure he was safe at the hospital you brought him to."

"Oh, good... That's good. And who the hell are you?"

"I'm..."

"It's Castiel, a friend of ours. Came here to help us."

"Ooookay."

Gabriel took a better look at the man, with his straight posture, dark hair and strange blue eyes.

"Do we know each other?"

"Hum... yes." Castiel answered, glancing at Dean.

He searched for the right words, words that wouldn't tell too much, Gabriel suspected.

"We were... close, at a time."

"But not anymore?"

"We had... differences."

"Gabriel, you need to explain what happened last night." Sam interjected.

"But I already told you when I got here."

"You weren't exactly making sense at the time." Dean remarked.

"I came home, and I talked to Clara about Jack Simms– Hey, do you know how he is, by the way?"

"He'll live." Sam responded darkly. "Please, continue."

"So, we talked, and next thing I knew, she was attacking me and two guys came out of nowhere to hold me. Their eyes were all black. I think they were possessed by..."

"Demons." Castiel finished.

"Yeah, demons."

"How do you know that?" Dean questioned.

"I... don't know, I just do..."

"And then?"

"Then, Clar– the demon kissed me, and there was something that came out of its mouth and tried to come into me. But right then there was a big flash of light, and we were thrown into different rooms."

"Of course, it could not have succeeded, a demon cannot stand the power of grace." Castiel nodded slightly.

"Of what?"

This was the second time that Castiel mentioned this 'grace', and Gabriel still didn't understand what he was talking about, but he felt like it was really important.

"Ignore him, just continue." Sam urged.

"Well, after that the demons were pretty upset, and I was cornered, so I made myself a blade to resist them. When they saw it, they were even more angry and... pretty scared, I think. But then Bill came and the demon possessing Clara stabbed him before it left, so I couldn't follow them."

"Fuckin' bitch." Dean snarled.

"I didn't know what to do, I just wanted to get help. I started to panic, and suddenly I was in the ER with Bill in my arms, and doctors surrounding me and asking what happened. I gave him to them, and then I was left alone. I still needed help, and I remembered you were at this motel. I tried to concentrate about this place and the feeling I'd just had, and then I just... teleported here."

"Well, so much for having only one power." Dean snorted.

The trickster pulled a face at him, but didn't argue.

"Gabriel?" Sam was still perplexed. "This... blade, you made to protect yourself... What was it like?"

"Oh, I can show you."

He produced the same weapon he had created a few hours ago and handed it to Sam, wincing as the effort caused a little headache. The Winchesters looked at it in awe, seeming to recognize it.

"Crap, this is–"

"An angel blade." Castiel finished once more.

"Excuse-me again but, a what?"

"Nothing." Dean said at the exact same time Castiel repeated "An angel blade."

Sam's eyes narrowed while Dean glared at Castiel. Gabriel stared at them, his gaze questioning. There was an awkward moment of silence before Sam broke it.

"Okay, enough lies." He turned to Gabriel. "Cas, here, is your brother. And this is an angel blade." He showed the piece of silver. "It's the weapon angels use when they fight. Castiel is one of them, and... you're one too."

"Angels? _Really_?" Gabriel sounded more than sceptical.

"Cas, show him, please." Dean rolled his eyes.

"Show him what?"

"I don't know, a proof, something that won't burn our eyes out. Try your wings, like in that barn."

Castiel sighed, but relaxed his shoulders. The lights flickered, and the shadows of big black wings appeared on the wall behind him. The Winchesters looked slightly impressed, but Gabriel gasped at the sight. He observed his supposed brother in awe while the shadows faded.

"Soooo, okay. Castiel is an angel. But me? You told me I was a trickster, I can't be like him!"

"No, you're right." Castiel confirmed, straightening his back. "You're not like me."

"Ah, see?"

"In fact, you're much more powerful. Or... you should be." Castiel continued.

"Gabriel, I know it seems crazy, and believe me, I don't understand how it's even possible considering the dick you can be sometimes, but it's true. You're a fuckin' angel."

"Hum, an archangel, actually." Sam clarified.

"But... Aren't archangels supposed to be Heaven's greatest weapons? I can only create things, I just learned how to teleport, and I can't even stay awake after that."

"You forget the just deserts for the bad guys while you're asleep." Dean added.

"Like I said earlier," Castiel cut the discussion, "I believe that your grace is trapped deep inside of you, leaving you practically human. It's only leaking a little, allowing you to use some of your lower abilities. But the amount of power you can access is limited. That's why you fainted when you got here after teleporting, because it took a lot more of energy and drained you."

"So, you think he can have his grace all back again?"

"I am confident that I will be able to release it completely. If you allow me to do so, of course."

"Will I be able to help Clara, then? Could I get my memories back too?"

"With your grace, saving your friend will be a formality. But for the memories, I cannot say for sure."

"Well, okay. Just do it."

"We will need to be in... contact." Castiel informed awkwardly as he came closer.

He sat on the bed next to Gabriel, and advanced one hand tentatively towards his chest. It was only then that the archangel realised his clothes had been cleaned. His shirt and jacket weren't covered in blood – Bill's blood – anymore, and the scratches from the fight had also disappeared.

"Hum... When...?"

"I did this when I first arrived." Castiel explained.

"Yeah, it's one of the 'perks' of being an angel." Dean continued. "Can get you cleaned or healed up in a sec'."

Castiel ignored him and locked gaze with Gabriel.

"I'm going to search for your grace inside your very being, so I need you to relax and concentrate. It may hurt a little when I will try to free it."

Gabriel propped himself up against the headboard of the bed, and inhaled deeply, never breaking eye contact with his newfound brother.

"Ok." He said. "Let's go."

"Close your eyes." Castiel advised as he gently laid a hand on his chest.

Gabriel did as he was told, trying to stay as calm as possible.

He could feel warmth spreading from Castiel's hand just over his pounding heart, eventually making it slow to a steady pace. A gentle heat seemed to envelop him, and Gabriel found himself in a state of pure communion with the powerful being next to him. He could feel Castiel's power sliding and searching deep inside, but not really invading. Gabriel let himself drift in the brightness of what he supposed was his brother's grace.

Sam and Dean had stopped talking when the angels had closed their eyes, not wanting to disturb or interrupt them. They were also pretty surprised at the closeness that soon settled between Gabriel and Castiel. During their previous interactions with the warriors of the Lord, they never had witnessed such a display of trust between two angels; just anger, disdain, fear, or at most some respect. In the mean time, they hoped Castiel would be able to 'fix' Gabriel, so they could finally smite those demons and close this case.

After a couple of minutes, Gabriel sensed Castiel's power quiver, and he felt it pull at something in his very core. The warm sensation that enveloped him became stronger, more focused. It started to burn just slightly. Gabriel winced as the burning feeling increased – apparently along with Castiel's growing frustration – until it became almost unbearable.

The Winchesters noticed something was wrong when the two angels tensed, but they got more than concerned when the celestial beings started to glow. Only instinct made them close their eyes and protect their faces with their arms, just before they felt a bright flash of light.

Castiel was thrown at the other side of the room and crashed against the wall while Gabriel bumped violently against the headboard of his bed. Sam and Dean cautiously opened their eyes again and stared alternately at the two angels.

"What happened?" Sam inquired finally as he turned to Gabriel. "Did you do this?"

"_No_." He protested vehemently, before hesitating. "Did I?"

Gabriel looked expectantly at Castiel, who dismissed Dean's offered hand as he stood up by himself.

"Yes. I think you did not mean to, but you rejected me. There is some kind of barrier that prevented me from releasing your grace. I cannot break it."

"You can't fix him?" Dean asked.

"I'm afraid not. Only Gabriel can suppress this barrier, and he subconsciously refuses to do it."

"So why don't you tell your subconscious to suck it up, and then we can take care of these demons once and for all." Sam snarled at the archangel.

"You know what, Sammy? Bite me!"

"Whoa! Calm down, both of you." Dean intervened. "We're not turning on each other, here. As I see it, we got a team of two hunters, an angel, plus an almost-recovered trickster. We should be able to manage a couple of demons, right?"

"I think Dean may have a point." Castiel assented.

"And how do we find them?" Gabriel asked, casting a dark glare in Sam's direction.

"Cas, can you locate them?"

"No, I unfortunately cannot detecte their presence from here. I would need to be pretty close to them."

"Guess we're back to the old tried and true, then." Dean concluded. "Research and study the omens."

* * *

They decided Dean and Castiel would verify the places where the omens indicated the presence of the demons, and patrol in the city to see if the angel could locate their den. In the meantime, Sam and Gabriel would stay at the motel to pursue the investigation and try to find new omens.

Actually, Sam was the only one to search, because Gabriel had thought it would be a better idea to practice his newfound teleportation skills. That is, until he nearly fainted in the bathroom after a few tentatives and ended up with nothing to do but to stare at Sam over his laptop screen. Which quickly got on Sam's already bad nerves.

"Don't you have something else to do?" He grunted.

"Nope. You got the only computer in the room." The angel replied with a wry face.

"Don't give me that shit, you could make one appear if you really wanted to."

"And for what? I wouldn't even know what to look for."

"Just- Don't distract me." Sam gave up, going back to his computer.

There were some quiet minutes of silence, only disturbed by Sam's fingers on his keyboard, before Gabriel started talking again.

"It was a bunch of lies, right?"

"What are you talking about?" Sam sighed.

"That story you told us, two days ago, about a big bad terrorist, and me saving your lives. It was just something you invented at the moment."

"Well, if you really want to bring this up, no, it wasn't a whole lie." Sam closed his laptop and set it aside. "You did save our lives that day, except we weren't dealing with a criminal. We were fighting Lucifer."

"I beg your pardon? You mean Lucifer, as in... Lucifer? _The_ devil?"

"Exactly. It was the Apocalypse, Lucifer had Dean and I at his mercy, and when we thought we were done for good, you stepped up and saved the day. Even gave us a plan to put the devil back in his cage, as a farewell gift."

"But how did I make it?"

"We're not sure." Sam admitted. "For all we know, you faced Lucifer and he killed you. Maybe God brought you back when the Apocalypse was over, like He did with Cas."

"So, let's get this straight. I sacrificed myself, fighting Lucifer, to save your sorry asses and the whole world?" Sam nodded tiredly. "Dude, I was awesome! And kind of stupid, too."

"Yeah." Sam agreed. "You were a real douche before you decided to help us this one time, though. Made our lives a living hell. Castiel's too."

"How's that?"

"You trapped me and Dean in TVland to teach us a lesson, and when Cas came to save us, you sent him God-knows-where and gave him the beating of his life."

"Ouch. That'd explain why he seems a bit cautious around me... Should I apologize?"

As if on cue, Dean and Castiel appeared in the middle of the room, Dean tumbling forward.

"Cas! How many times do I have to say it? Give me a warning, damnit!"

"So, any good news?" Sam inquired, ignoring his brother.

Castiel turned to him, casting a side glance at Gabriel, and nodded slightly.

"We found them."

* * *

"You sure you want to take this? That thing can kill you."

They were packing, preparing their weapons for the coming fight, and Dean watched with awe as Gabriel was balancing his archangel blade. The trickster was slightly taken aback by his question.

"It's a fake, I'm not that stupid. But it feels better than a knife. I like the weight of it."

"Besides," Castiel stated, "it would not make any difference if it were the real one. In his weakened state, any weapon could cause a fatal blow to Gabriel."

"You comin' anyway?"

"Don't be ridiculous!" Gabriel replied with a hint of disdain. "Even like this, I'm more powerful than the both of you, muttonheads."

"How many demons did you say there were?" Sam turned to Castiel.

"I would say a dozen of them, maybe a few more."

"And what's the plan?" Gabriel inquired. "Baby bro here zaps us in the middle of the house, and the slaughter begins?"

"That was the general idea, yeah." Dean replied. "Any objection?"

They all looked at each other, but no one answered.

"Let's go, then." Dean concluded, coming closer to Castiel.

"Just one more thing!" Gabriel interrupted. "Whatever happens, no one hurts Clara."

His comrades nodded in agreement, and they all disappeared as Castiel brought them to the demons' lair.

As soon as they arrived in the main room of the abandoned and decrepit house, two demons launched at their little group, trying to rip them apart. Whatever fears the Winchesters may have nursed about Gabriel's ability to fight, they were promptly dissipated as the archangel dodged easily one of the assailants and plunged his blade in the back of the host's head. He then murmured a few Enochian words that Castiel had taught them to expel the demon. Castiel took care of the other one by exorcizing him.

The group then split as more demons came to stop the unexpected intrusion. Sam managed to kill one of them with Ruby's knife before a second flew at his throat and they both fell behind a piece of furniture. Dean had taken down a red haired man and was now dealing with a couple of possessed women, while Castiel was already exorcizing his third demon.

As he was making his way toward the kitchen door, Gabriel faced one of the demons who had been present at Bill's house the previous night. He barely blocked a powerful punch with his blade, the force of the blow sending shivers along his arm. The demon pressed forward, and the angel grasped the opportunity to unbalance his opponent by teleporting just behind him. The man stumbled forward and Gabriel jumped on his back, the exorcism now a formality.

Gabriel then straightened up, assessing the situation around him with a brief glance. Sam had finally killed his second attacker and was already advancing on the next. Dean had knocked down one of the women and was still dealing with the other, sending a warning to Castiel as another demon tried to surprise him from behind.

Standing on trembling legs and strenghtening his grip on his blade, Gabriel tried to clear the slight dizziness he still felt after teleporting. He turned around to resume his path toward the kitchen, only to come face to face with Clara.

"Hi, honey. Missed me?" She asked with a wide smile.

And then she stabbed him in the chest.

Gabriel gasped at the sudden excruciating pain, feeling the knife tearing into his flesh at the very place of his scar. He distantly heard someone shout his name as the demon pushed the weapon even deeper inside him, sending white hot pain through his whole body. He clutched the wrist holding the knife to try to stop it, and grabbed the demon's shoulder to keep his balance, his own legs starting to give way beneath him.

"Cl– Clara... Don't..." He stuttered, his breath coming in tensed rasps.

"Clara's not in control." The demon seized him by the neck with its free hand and whispered in his ear. "But right now, she's screaming, in here."

He didn't quite understand what she said, because her face merged with another one, a male one; the face of the man he had dreamed about, with his ugly scars. And he seemed to smile sadly at him, murmuring,

_"Amateur hocus pocus. Don't forget, you learned all your tricks from me, little brother."_

He knew this face, had loved this person – his brother – more than anything, a long time ago. And he had already been in this situation, dying by the hands of a cherished one, stabbed in the heart with his own blade, by–

_By __Lucifer. Oh God._

His attention was focused once again on Clara as she drew back, this demonic smile still on her face.

"It's a pity, you know. I really didn't want to kill you. But hey, no need to be sorry, I still get to end a fuckin' angel."

She twisted the knife and withdrew it violently, already discarding him and heading to the Winchesters.

Gabriel winced and staggered back before falling on his knees, arms hanging limply at his sides. The pain of his wound began to recede as the flow of his memories submerged him. He felt his grace stir deep inside him and a warm light began to envelop his whole being. The familiar sensation almost brought tears to his eyes.

"I remember." He murmured, bewildered.

The demon possessing Clara turned back abruptly, looking disbelieving. The remaining people in the room all stared with awe at Gabriel, whose body was beginning to glow with an iridescent light. Understanding what was about to happen, the archangel shouted,

"Castiel!"

The angel of Thursday just had the time to grab the Winchesters and Clara and surround them with his wings, before the room was filled with a blinding and overwhelming light as Gabriel's grace was finally released, burning away the last demons in the house.

When it was over, Clara quickly moved back, unable to withstand Castiel's proximity. Her back bumped against something soft yet burning, and she turned to face a now fully recovered archangel.

"What the hell?" The demon squeaked in terror.

"Guess again." Gabriel answered menacingly, an unusual golden glint in his eyes.

He raised his right hand and snapped his fingers. The demon was immediately expelled from Clara's body in the form of a black smoke and exploded, instead of simply escaping as it normally did. Gabriel caught the unconscious young woman before she fell on the floor and gathered her tenderly in his arms.

The Winchesters seemed quite disturbed by the sudden disappearance of the demons they had been fighting and the execution of the last one, and they couldn't stop watching the archangel with gratitude, mixed with dread.

Sam was the first to break the heavy silence.

"Are you alright?"

He watched the angel and Clara at the same time.

"I'm... better." Gabriel replied. "And she'll be fine, thanks to you." He added, glancing at Castiel.

The younger angel nodded, accepting the acknowledgement. Gabriel had the tiniest of smiles and then he vanished with his lover, leaving two bemused humans and a disappointed little brother.

"Friggin' angels!" Dean snapped when he recovered from the shock.

He turned to Sam and Castiel for support, but only earned a disapproving look from both.

"What?"

* * *

When his peculiar brother finally found him the next morning, Gabriel was watching over William Burns.

The archangel was standing quietly in the corner of the hospital room, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest as he observed his sleeping friend. The old man was out of danger now, but he still needed to rest to fully recover, and Gabriel couldn't help but feel responsible for what had happened to him. Had he not been on this road that fateful night, Clara would never have been possessed by a demon, and Bill wouldn't have ended up hurt.

The messenger of God didn't even flinch when Castiel joined him in a rustle of air.

"Hi, bro." He said in greetings, not bothering to face his brother.

"I thought I would find you here. Sam and Dean were pretty worried when you disappeared last night."

"I took Clara back home. Didn't want her to stay in that sordid place."

"Of course."

Castiel seemed to hesitate, slightly flustered by his sibling's indifference, but he continued nonetheless.

"Brother, I am fully aware that my presence is not really well-timed, but I need to know. Will you come with me?"

Gabriel finally looked at him, his eyebrows raised.

"And why would I do that?" He asked, a hint of sarcasm lacing his voice.

"There is a war, Gabriel. A civil war among the Host. Raphael wants to rule over Heaven, and put the Apocalypse back on its rails. We can't let this happen."

"Are you serious?" The archangel scoffed. "I just got my grace back! Because I got killed when I stood up against Lucifer. And now you want me to confront Raphael?"

He made a wide gesture out of spite and turned his back on the other angel, resting his hands on the nearest chair.

"We will need all the help we can find." Castiel confirmed, almost guiltily. "Either way, you can't stay in this town with these people. You will only endanger th–"

"WHO SAID–" Gabriel shouted suddenly, before he remembered where he was and lowered his voice. "Who said I was planning on staying here anyway?"

Castiel stayed silent for a moment, giving Gabriel some time to cool off. He didn't want to upset his brother; even if God had brought him back 'new and improved', he wasn't eager to face a wrathful archangel. So when Castiel talked again, he tried to sound as conciliatory as possible.

"I know I can't force you to join us, but you need to understand. If Raphael wins, all the sacrifices we made to stop the Apocalypse will be pointless. Your death, by Lucifer's hands, will be pointless."

He waited expectantly for his brother's reaction, fearing a scathing reply or a violent move. But Gabriel only turned around with a deep sigh. A sad smile slid across his face as he put his left hand gently on Castiel's shoulder.

"You're right, little brother." And then his eyes lightened with mischief. "You can't force me."

Castiel's blue orbs widened in understanding, but the archangel had already lifted his right hand.

"Goodbye, bro. See you soon."

He snapped his fingers and Castiel vanished in a big rush of air. Someone gasped and Gabriel spinned round to see Clara, standing in the doorway.

"Oh, don't worry, I just sent him... to Tibet, I think."

"Is it true?" She questioned timidly, tears in her eyes. "Are you going to leave?"

His smile faded and he lowered his head, not wanting to see the sadness on her face.

"I... have to. As long as I stay here, you and Bill will never be safe."

Clara closed the distance between them and pulled him in a fierce embrace.

"Please, don't go. I don't know what I'll do without you."

Gabriel caressed her back softly, trying to soothe her pain and stop the sobs that were shaking her frail body.

"I can erase you memory, if you want." He proposed, his voice close to a whisper. "You'll never remember meeting me, or being possessed."

"No!" She stepped back to look at him in the eyes. "No, I don't want to forget!"

"Okay, okay. I won't do it."

He took Clara in his arms again and she rested her forehead on his shoulder, breathing deeply. Gabriel buried his face in her hair, leaving sweet kisses on the top of her head, letting her scent envelop him. They stayed like this for long minutes, clutched in each other's arms.

Eventually, Clara's sobs lessened, and her voice was steadier when she talked again.

"You know, what this... demon... said, when you asked me why I loved you?" He nodded slightly. "It was the truth. No matter what happens, I will never stop loving you." New tears began to pour in her eyes, but she wiped them quickly. "Promise me, Gabriel. Promise that you'll never forget me."

"I promise. I swear on my Father's name that I will _never_ forget you."

Clara giggled at his unusual oath and smiled sadly.

"Go now, my beautiful angel. Go and help your friends."

Gabriel captured her delicate lips in a last passionate kiss, and then he was gone in a flutter of wings.

* * *

The Winchesters left New Castle in the early morning. With Gabriel all angeled up again, and the demons gone, their job in this town was completed. Castiel had wanted to stay and try to convince his brother to help him in his war against Raphael, but they knew better than to step in a family discussion. Besides, they highly doubted that Gabriel would go willingly against another of his brothers.

They were crossing the state border when the archangel suddenly appeared in the back seat of the Impala, grinning, a candy bar stuck between his lips.

"So, I've been thinking." He mumbled, his mouth full of chocolate.

"What the hell?" Dean shouted.

The car swerved across the road as he tried to regain control of his precious baby, and Sam turned around in his seat, grabbing Ruby's knife in order to face the potential threat.

"Why are you here?" He asked when he recognized the unpredictable angel.

"As I was saying, until Deano here confused the road with a track of bumper cars, I've been thinking that it would be fun to hang with you guys for a while."

"What?"

"Yeah, and I'm so generous and selfless that I agree to help you with your future cases. Well... some of them."

"We don't need your help." Dean retorted, looking at him in the rear-view mirror. "We're good by ourselves."

"Oh, come on! I know it's a mess up there, and it must be even worse down here for you yahoos. Because honestly, demons attacking a trickster? The situation's gotta be pretty nasty, to carry these sons of bitches to such extremes."

"Why don't you help Castiel, then?" Sam remarked. "I'm sure he'd be _more than happy_ to have you by his side."

"Nah. He's doing well by himself, and I'm not dealing with an angelic war anytime soon. Unless little Cas really gets himself into trouble, of course."

"It doesn't matter, what we say, huh?" Dean resigned himself. "We're stuck with you anyway?"

"Yep!" Gabriel said, popping the 'p'. "Stop brooding, boys! We're gonna have so much fun!"

The archangel then made himself comfortable in the back seat of the car and snapped another candy bar into existence. Defeated, the brothers settled back in their seats, trying to forget his presence by staring at the road and turning the radio on.

Unfortunately, ignoring him proved to be very difficult when Gabriel began to sing along.

THE END

* * *

Well, that's it. Hope you liked it (review if you did). I don't think there will be a sequel, but hey, never say never.

And for the ones who are curious, the title comes from a song by The Who.


End file.
